Death Note: Blank Pages
by TheStrangerThatCameFromNowhere
Summary: Retired.
1. Page 1

" _God is dead, god remains dead, and we have killed him." -Friedrich Nietzsche_

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 **Death Note: Blank Pages**

* * *

Page 01: I am Killer

Rinse. Lather. Repeat.

This was the process of 18-year-old high school student Light Yagami's life. Wake up, brushing his teeth, eating breakfast with his family, then take the train to go to school, return home and study, eat dinner, bathe and sleep. And then repeat the same process the next day. It was a system that he had lived by for almost all of his life, with some chagrin.

Every morning, he would always find himself walking through the streets of Kanto, struggling to make it through the crowds while being forced to listen to the same news, repeated every day.

Stabbings. Robberies. Arson. Murders. Bombings. Scandals. By now, he's heard just about every major crime there was to know from the large megascreen. It served as background news, nothing more.

The train ride to school was nothing special either. The cars were always so empty in the morning, and he always chose the spot with less people with a book containing school notes in hand. And school itself was a boring affair. Given his studious nature, he knew practically everything there was to know in regards to the material, he was confident that he could teach a class.

Not that he would. He didn't want to find himself stuck doing such a boring job as that.

When he thought about the future, Light Yagami wasn't entirely sure what he wanted to do. Initially, when he was younger, he wanted to be like his father and become a member of law enforcement. It was childish, but it meant well. And it certainly brought a tear his father's eyes, and his grandfather before the man passed away, bless his soul. When he was in middle school, he briefly debated becoming an author and writing mystery novels. Growing up as the son of an officer had that effect, and his imagination when reading cases was certainly wild enough to create even the most strangest of murder cases ever written on paper.

Now at the cusp of adulthood, the young man found himself pondering his future. Every possibility back then still existed, but now they seemed so far away. As if unobtainable to him by this point.

Light Yagami was smart. That was a fact. Some might even go on to say that he was the smartest student in school. But with that knowledge came hesitance on the future, as well as inner frustration. With so much knowledge swimming in your head, what could you possibly do to try and insert yourself into society? When he thought of that question, Light could find no answer.

Classes droned on, and he was listless, mainly going through his book to remind himself on what might be on future tests and what wouldn't be. That took maybe twenty minutes before he pulled away from his desk and looked out the window, finding the sky to be particularly cloudy.

"Looks like it'll be another rainy day again..." Light muttered with some distaste. He wasn't sure why, but he never seemed to like it whenever it rained. He had no problems with water, mind you. It was just that rain made him feel so uncomfortable, and he never knew why.

As he looked away from the window, he caught sight of something falling out of the corner of his eye. Glancing back, he found a small black shape descending towards the ground.

"What's that…?"

* * *

(March 11th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 12:23 PM)

* * *

Break arrived shortly after third period had reached its end. Out of either genuine curiosity or simply boredom, Light arrived at the main courtyard in search of the object that fell. He figured it was probably an injured bird or maybe a discarded item that someone tossed out the window. If it was the latter, then he'd just turn it over to Lost and Found and then leave for the library.

His search took a minute before he found it. It was hidden behind the large stump of what was left of the oak tree that once stood proudly in the middle of the courtyard before it had to be cut down to make way for renovations. Kneeling down, Light scooped the object up in his hands.

It was a thin, jet black notebook. Terribly thin, almost like a binder with a few sheets of paper. Scribbled on the front were bold white letters, written in clear English. Being proficient in the language, Light translated it and raised an eyebrow.

"Death Note…?"

Well, it certainly was a unique name for a brand of notebooks, he'd give the brand owners that.

He glanced around, finding only a few students nearby. It was a bit rude to look into someone's personal belongings, but it shouldn't be a problem if he only peaked at the first page, right? Besides, the owner might have written their name on the inside.

Pulling the notebook open to the first page, Light looked at the back, only to narrow in confusion. Instead of a name, there was a warning written, and below that, a set of rules and instructions to follow.

"The human who's name is written in this book...shall die?" Light read aloud with a frown. "This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind when writing his or her name. This is to prevent people who share the same name from being affected."

He stared at the contents, then folded it shut with a scoff. This was either some kind of elaborate prank, or a sick joke. Done in poor taste, he might add. He was half tempted to put it back where he found it or throw it in the trash, but something felt...strange about this notebook. Like there was something compelling about it. Something enticing. His hands felt warm, despite it currently being Winter.

Light stared at the notebook for about a good minute before he heard the bell rang. With class ready to start and not willing to be late, he slipped the notebook into his bag on reflex and went back into the building.

Throughout the rest of his time, the back of his mind would be occupied about the mystery of this strange black notebook in his possession…

* * *

(March 11th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:24 PM)

* * *

Around evening, after Light had finished his homework and did his bit of studying, he took out the notebook he found at school and lay it on his desk, propped open to the first page. As it turned out, however, the notebook had more detailed instructions.

 **INSTRUCTIONS**

 **1\. Entering Names**

 **The Human whose name is written in this note shall die. This note will not take effect unless the writer has the subject's face in mind when writing his/her name. This is to prevent people who share the same name from being affected.**

 **The Death Note will not ever affect a person whose name has been misspelled four times.**

 **When the same name is written in two or more Death Notes within 0.06 seconds, the entry is regarded as simultaneous; the Death Notes will not take effect and the individual will not die.**

 **When the same name is written in two or more Death Notes, the note which was used first will take effect, regardless of the time of death.**

 **If a Death Note owner accidentally misspells a person's name four times, that person will be free from being killed by the Death Note. However, if the Death Note owner intentionally misspells the name four times, the owner will die.**

 **The Death Note will not take effect if the victim's name is written on several different pages. However, the front and back of a page is considered to be one page. For example, the Death Note will take effect if the victim's last name is written on the front page and first name on the back.**

There were more instructions, but Light mostly read what was written on the first page. As he re-read the bullet points, he couldn't help but feel mildly impressed. If this was a prank, it was a very detailed one. Then again, would someone really go so far as to try something like this? Or something that sounded so stupid? Really, who would believe you could kill someone just by writing their name on a piece of paper?

Light stared at the notebook, then shrugged. He leaned back in his chair and was about to close the notebook when he saw a news report on the TV. It was yet another story he's heard before, a kidnapping incident. Someone had taken refuge in a daycare center and held the staff and children inside hostage, supposedly armed with a shotgun. The news made his face twist in disgust. Why did people like this exist in the world? It would be better off without them, wouldn't they? Or at the very least, Light wondered what drives a man to commit these crimes.

He was about to turn off his TV and go back to studying, but he found himself looking back at the notebook. It's stupid, he thought. It's just some kind of prank made by someone with a lot of time on their hands. Yet something like before, there was something about it that made his hands twitch uncontrollably. He looked back at his TV, and then back at the notebook.

He took out a pen from his pencil case and brought it to the paper as he looked at the screen. The news was showing the confirmed identity of the suspect: name and picture and all. With a face fresh in his mind and the name known to him, Light wrote down the man's name in this supposed Death Note.

" _Kurou Otoharada"_

After he pulled his pen away, Light scrunched his eyebrows in thought. If this thing actually worked...wouldn't that make him a killer? Thinking on it, he laughed and shook his head before he closed the notebook and turned off his TV. He stood up from his chair and rolled his neck, leaving his room in favor for the living room. By now, dinner should be ready.

Had he kept the TV on, he would have learned Otoharada's fate.

* * *

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 7:21 AM)

* * *

Wake up. Shower. Eat breakfast. Walk through the crowded streets of Kanto. Find a train and read a book in silence.

Yet another cycle done and over with for Light. The routine had been done so many times, he may as well be breathing and acting on reflex at this point, aside from the small talk at the dining room table. He smiled faintly as he waited for class to start, remembering how drowsy Sayu looked and how she accidentally spilled some water on herself in her half-asleep stupor.

"Hey, Light-kun!" a cheery voice called out from in front of him. Light turned away from the window, finding a fellow classmate in front of him. A girl around his age with brown eyes and dark brown hair that fell past her shoulders.

"Hey, Yuri-san." he greeted lamely.

Yuri was one of his "acquaintances." Despite his father's advice for when he started school life here at Daikoku Private Academy, Light had never felt the need to connect with people. At best, he did little favors and made connections with others, but he never actually took part in their own little gatherings or meet-ups.

To put it bluntly, he didn't have any friends. And, wow, that actually sounded kind of lonely in his head.

Outside of his usual acquaintances, however, Yuri had been one of the more closer ones. In fact, she might've been the closest thing Light had to a "friend" here at school. They were both smart, though Yuri leaned more on the physical side. She was the star member of the track team and was even supposed to be the runner up for the upcoming competition. In terms of academics, she always ranked somewhere up high in the top ten.

Judging by the look on her face, though, he could tell she wanted to talk about gossip. Light was half-tempted to pretend he was listening, but since it was Yuri, he might as well give her the time of day.

"What's up?" he started. "Did your spot as the runner for the competition get finalized?"

"Yep!" Yuri nodded energetically. "I've been working extra hard! My club is counting on me, after all!" Now that she mentioned it, Light never participated in any clubs either. Unlike his excuse for not having friends, though, it was because he just distanced himself with studying as his main excuse. If there was a club for studying, however, chances are he'd be a part of it. "My family's throwing a small celebration! They decided to make reservations for my clubmates and my friends. You interested?"

Light laughed sheepishly, rubbing his neck. "Sorry, Yuri-san. I'm busy preparing for the upcoming exams."

Yuri rolled her eyes. "Geez, Light-kun!" she pouted as she folded her arms. "You study way too much! One of these days, your brain will swell so much, your head will burst! You should try and watch some TV, like anime or something."

"That's more along the lines of my sister." Light protested. He didn't study _that_ much! "Speaking of television, did you see the news about what happened at the daycare center? Pretty scary stuff."

"Tell me about it." the girl nodded in agreement. "I felt so sorry for all those kinds that had go through all that. Well, at least that guy's gone now."

Light found himself sitting straight up. "What happened?" he asked, suddenly finding his throat dry. "Did the police manage to arrest him?"

"Huh? Wait, you didn't hear what happened to him?" Light shook his head, telling her he had turned off his TV shortly after he saw the news show the identity of the suspect. He was about to tell her about the stupid notebook he found yesterday, but her next words made his blood turn into ice. "The guy suddenly collapsed and died! They said he died of a heart attack!"

 _ **The Human whose name is written in this note shall die.**_

Light suddenly found his stomach flipping itself on its head. His face turned ashen pale and his heart suddenly hammered against his chest. The man died? Did-did that mean he actually…? No, that couldn't be! That was absolutely ridiculous!

"Light-kun?" Yuri's voice didn't quite meet his ears.

"I'm sorry." he said hastily, suddenly getting up from his seat. "I'm-I'm not feeling too well." Without letting her get a word in and ignoring her calls of concern, Light made a b-line straight for the bathroom.

* * *

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 8:02 AM)

* * *

For over half an hour, Light spent almost the entirety of homeroom inside the bathroom, rotating between trying to ease his stomach, calming his nerves and slashing his face with warm water when he felt a deathly chill spread across his face. The handles were even warm with how long he had left the water running and the collar of his shirt was now utterly soaked down to the tiniest fiber.

When Light looked up at his own reflection, after he had continuously lathered his face in hot water, he grimaced.

"…I look like shit."

He couldn't stop worrying, nor could he ease this nervous bundle in his stomach. It had to be a coincidence. It had to be. There was no way someone could die from having their name written in some notebook, right? There was no such thing as the supernatural! It was impossible!

So, why? Why couldn't he get it out of his mind? The more he thought about it, the more uncertain he became. Growing frustrated, he put his head under the facet and let the water rush over his head.

"There's no way it's possible to kill someone like that." he tried to reason with himself. "Otoharada had to be in his forties. With the stress of the incident, he could have worked his heart to death. That has to be it."

But, what if it wasn't? What if that wasn't the case? What if he actually killed that man?

Pulling his head away, hair now a soggy mess, Light pulled the so-called Death Note out from his bag. In a fumbling haste, he opened the notebook to the page where the instructions were. On the off chance Light did kill someone, and he was sure he didn't, then there had to be a reason as to why Otoharada died of a heart attack. Sure, the man may have been old, but he needed to look at this from a detective's point of view. There had to be a reason why a heart attack killed Otoharada specifically.

When he flipped over to the next page, Light found his hands shaking.

 **INSTRUCTIONS**

 **2\. Entering Clause and Conditions of Death**

 **If the cause of death is written within 40 seconds of the subject's name, it will happen.**

 **If the cause of death isn't specified, the victim dies of a heart attack in 40 seconds. However, the rule can be delayed for twenty-three days, meaning you can write down "dies by heart attack in [xx] days."**

 **After writing the cause of death, the details of the death should be entered within the next 6 minutes and 40 seconds.**

 **If the time of death is specified within 40 seconds after writing the cause of death as a heart attack, the time of death can be manipulated and can go into effect within 40 seconds after writing the name.**

 **The conditions of death will not be realized unless they are physically possible for that human or could be reasonably assumed to be carried out by that human. Although it is possible to control a person's actions, if an impossible situation is written down the person will simply die of a heart attack.**

 **Since the limitations applying to the conditions of a death are unknown to the Shinigami, Death Note owners must find out on their own.**

 **You may write the cause and/or death prior to filling in the name of the individual. Be sure to insert the name in front of the cause of death. You have about 19 days (according to the human calendar) to fill in a name.**

 **After an individual's name, time of death, and conditions of death are entered in the notebook, the time and conditions of death may be altered as many times as desired as long as they are changed within six minutes and 40 seconds from the time they are filled in. But, of course, this is only possible before the victim dies.**

 **If you write "dies of accident" for the cause of death, the victim will die from a natural accident six minutes and 40 seconds after the time of entry. "Accident" is a condition of death, so six minutes and 40 seconds are provided to write down additional details. The conditions do not take effect until this time has passed.**

The notebook fell from his hands, landing to the tiled floor with a thud. Light hunched over, feeling bile rising up from his throat. Clasping a hand over his mouth, he tried to force it down while gripping the edge of the sink to the point his knuckles turned white.

It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. It wasn't possible. _It wasn't possible!_

He couldn't have killed someone with a heart attack! There was no way that was possible!

After successfully forcing the contents of his stomach back down, Light shakily pulled the notebook into his hands, but in a loose grip. He stared at it as if it would come alive and strike him at any moment.

"There's...there's only one way to confirm this." he concluded with fear, hoping to god that he was wrong. "I...I have to use it again!"

* * *

(March 12th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 11:45 PM)

* * *

Light's mind had been a mess ever since he read the rules of the notebook in their entirety. No matter how hard he thought, he couldn't focus. Classes went by in a blur and home had been a quick affair, as was cram school. The notebook was safely secured in his bag. He didn't dare risk what could happen if he lost it and it was picked up by someone.

 _If it can kill someone_ , he was forced to remind himself. _If it can kill someone_. Until he had more evidence, he thought of the book as harmless. However, the idea that it could kill someone, and he was about to kill someone again, made him uneasy.

Cram school seemed to drag on forever. Everyone was busy with their own thing, either studying or doing so half-heartedly while playing around on their phones or handheld consoles. Light even spotted a fellow student harassing another for money. He grimaced and turned a blind eye to the whole thing. Not because he didn't want to get involved, but because of the stray thought of writing the student's name in the notebook to test his hypothesis.

If he was going to murder someone, it should be another criminal, shouldn't it?

"Listen to me!" Light cursed at himself for believing in this nonsense, yet unable to shake it off. "I sound like some vigilante!"

After leaving Cram School, Light made his way to a convenience store, hoping to cool his mind off this whole thing. He had to let this go. It wouldn't be healthy for him. The next time he sees a trash can, he's going to toss the damn thing in it and leave it be.

After paying for a water bottle, he moved over to the magazine section of the store. Before he had left the house, Sayu had asked him to pick up this week's issue of Shonen Chump. Honestly, he didn't see the appeal behind it. Admittedly, he never found himself reading manga, but he never saw the attraction. He found his interest more towards books and mystery novels.

As he searched for the issue, Light noticed movement outside the store. At first, he didn't think much of it, but then he started to hear shouting. Looking up, he saw a group of men on motorcycles harassing some poor woman, who was trying to escape. The group was being quite loud if he could hear them all the way inside the store. The leader of the group of bikers was some punk with a scrunched up face by the name of Takuo Shibuimaru. The clerk looked mighty ticked off, ready to barge outside. Light was tempted to call the cops, but a small part of his mind whispered, _Why don't you use that notebook? If it can kill someone, who better to test it than a piece of trash?_

Light scowled, shaking his head. Okay, that was it. He was getting rid of-

"Stop! Let-let me go!"

He blinked back into focus, eyes widening. The bikers gathered around the woman, hands groping her body and undoing her clothes. In seconds, Light felt his heart burn with anger. That piece of trash! He was actually sexually assaulting someone in front of a store?! Light looked at the clerk and found him suddenly losing his bravado, now unsure. He couldn't believe it. He was actually going to let this happen?!

 _You said you were going to use it on a criminal, weren't you?_ The voice tempted him again. _Here's one, right here!_

At this moment, Light didn't care about his moral dilemma anymore. Tearing the notebook from his bag, he grabbed a random magazine and opened it to a random page, hiding the notebook inside as cover while he took a pen from his person and wrote down the bastard's name, using every variation of character he could think of that would make up the man's name.

" _Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver  
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver  
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver  
"Takuo Shibuimaru is hit and killed by a drunk driver"_

Light looked on expectantly. The woman managed to pry herself out of their hands and make a mad dash. Takuo Shibuimaru was the first to chase after her on his bike. He was only halfway across the street when a truck came straight out of nowhere, barreling into sight and smashing dead on into the bastard without slowing down or stopping. The sound of metal scraping against concrete and flesh being smacked and torn apart by metal was almost gut-wrenching in the ears of everyone present.

The magazine and notebook fell from Light's hands, face completely white. His eyes were the size of softballs, staring at what could only be considered his handiwork.

It was real. This was for real.

The Death Note. The notebook. It could kill someone.

 _Light Yagami had just killed someone!_

His legs were already in motion before his brain finally caught on to the ramifications. He was already in the bathroom before his stomach violently growled and he dumped his dinner into the toilet. His mouth tasted bitter and his throat burned. Tears stung at his eyes.

A minute went by after his stomach no longer had anything to remove except its own acids. Removing himself from the toilet, Light shakily stood up, using the wall behind him for support. His heart felt like it was about to explode!

"I-I killed someone." he whispered in horror, hyperventilating. "I actually killed someone. No, I killed people! I killed two men!"

This wasn't happening. This couldn't possibly be happening! This was a nightmare. Yeah, that's right. A nightmare. Any minute now, he'd wake up in bed. This was because he was studying too much, wasn't it?

But that wasn't the reality of the situation. Light had killed someone again. The realization made his stomach lurch again. This was bad. This was very, very bad. He had to dispose of that book. He had to get rid of it. He couldn't throw it away! It was too dangerous! What if someone picked up by accident and found out what it could do?! No, he had to destroy it! All he needed was a lighter and some gasoline, and then everything would be fine. No one would know, right?

 _But you would, you murderer._ A chilling voice rasped in his ear. Light yelped and whirled around, finding no one behind him but his own shadow, cast by the dingy lighting that was flickering. _You're just burning evidence, like the killer you are._

Light shook his head violently, pressing his palms against his ears. "You're wrong." he whispered, falling to his knees. "I didn't do it! I didn't kill those men! It wasn't me! I didn't-!"

Excuses. That was what he was doing. Excuses. Like a real criminal. Tears spilled from his eyes as he tried to block out the voice. He was going mad. He was hallucinating now.

Good god...this really was a nightmare.

"...I can't let anybody find that book." Light reasoned with himself, pulling himself back up to his feet. He walked over to the sink, splashing his face with ice cold water. He needed to-he needed to calm down. "I need to get rid of it. I need to..."

He trailed off as he looked at the reflection in the mirror. It was stained and partially cracked, but he could see himself in the mirror. The sight of a pale-faced, deathly afraid teenager who had just committed a terrible crime. In the background, he could hear the sound of sirens wailing. The clerk must have called the police and they were just now arriving.

But the sirens became drowned, lost in a film of noise as Light's eyes became distant.

 _Rows of people stood on, angered and in sorrow while a younger Light Yagami looked on in disbelief, as if he couldn't believe what had just happened. Next to him, Sayu cried out in anger, pulled back down by his father who tried to calm her down. A man walked down the isle, a shadow cast over his face with a hand in his pocket with confidence._

 _For a moment, their eyes met. And Light saw a smirk spread across his face, revealing sharp white canines._

Light stared at his reflection for a moment longer, a cold fire burning in his eyes before he removed himself from the sink, leaving the bathroom and returning to the magazine rack, picking the Death Note up from the floor and returning it to his bag with the Shonen Chump magazine in tow.

He did promise Sayu, after all.

* * *

(April 2nd, 2004 / Standard Pacific Time: 9:41 PM)

* * *

"I'm home!" Light announced as he stepped inside the Yagami Household, shivering. "Oof! It's freezing outside!"

"I bet it is!" Sachiko Yagami, his mother said with a concerned expression. "It's been raining ever since yesterday! The weather report said it'll continue until tomorrow too. Oh, I hope you didn't catch a cold."

Well, apart from being somewhat soaked on account of rushing to the train when it almost closed on him without him being inside it, he wouldn't go that far. With a cheerful smile, Light waved a hand in dismissal. "I'll be fine. I'm more worried about dad running around in this weather." he said, voicing his concerns.

For the past two weeks, his father had been pulling several all-nighters. Something about a case he was working on. The thought of the man running around in the rain like this made him quite concerned. A sentiment shared by Sachiko herself. "I'm sure your father will be alright." she said with a smile. "That man is too stubborn to get sick. How were the nationwide exams, sweetie?"

"Take a look! See for yourself." Light replied, handing her the envelope containing his test results. Setting his bag down near the entryway, Light began undoing his necktie and jacket. "I'm going to take a shower early!"

"Okay!" Sachiko called back before opening the envelope. A wide grin spread across her face. Light Yagami had scored at the very top once again! As she expected, the boy took after his father when he was his age! Honestly, what was it with the men of the household being prodigies? Making a note to ask Light if he wanted anything as a reward for studying so hard, Sachiko returned to the living room, finding her youngest daughter Sayu in front of the television. "Sayu-chan, are you finished with homework?"

"Yes, mom!" Sayu replied, flipping through the channels while she fiddled with her phone. In actuality, she hadn't. She was waiting for Light to get back, so she could ask for his help. She glanced up at the TV, finding an anime playing, albeit one she didn't like. Frowning she muttered how there was nothing good one before changing the channel and looking at her phone. "By the way, mom? Have you heard about those string of heart attacks that's been happening?"

Sachiko stopped what she was doing momentarily, looking over her shoulder. "Oh, you mean the news reports about all those criminals suddenly dropping like flies all over the globe? They've been all over the news. In fact, Kitamura-chan mentioned to me the other day how her husband has been sprouting gray hairs ever since the whole thing started! It's quite worrying if you ask me."

"Why's that?" Sayu asked curiously. "Isn't a good thing the bad guys are disappearing?"

"Yes, but I worry about your father. You know how he can be. What brought this on? Usually, you don't like to talk about this sort of stuff."

"Oh, I'm just reading this online article. Apparently, some occult thing says the heart attacks are actually being done by someone called Kira." Sayu told her mother, though er tone clearly said that she didn't believe a word of it. "It's crazy. These people are saying that Kira's some kind of god who's punishing the wicked. Do people actually believe this sort of stuff, mom?"

"The world is full of all sorts of people, Sayu-chan." Sachiko shook her head. "Now, put down your phone and help me with dinner. Your brother will be out of the shower any minute!"

"Okay!"

Ten minutes later, Light came down wearing slacks and a slightly damp dress shirt, his hair still wet. A towel was hanging around his neck. He joined his family at the diner table, the three members of the Yagami family soon digging in while the television played in the background.

"Number one again, huh?" Sayu giggled. "Must be nice, being the smart one."

"Not really. Sometimes, I dream about the exams in my sleep." Light joked with a sheepish smile. "It's not pretty. Speaking of exams, how about you, Sayu? How are you doing?"

"Urk!"

Sachiko frowned, catching her daughter grimacing in displeasure. "Young lady, what have I told you?"

"S-sorry..."

Light laughed, much to Sayu's dismay. Soon, though, she eventually found herself smiling too. Up until recently, she noticed that Light had been in an extremely good mood these last few weeks. She didn't know why, but she assumed something good had happened to him recently. Normally, the smile he put on was just lacking in warmth or enthusiasm. Nowadays, he genuinely smiled like he was at the height of living. She didn't know what caused it, but she was happy to see him like this.

As the Yagami family dined in peace, the television's channel suddenly changed without warning, catching their attention. "We'd like to apologize for the interruption. As of now we're bringing you a live world wide broadcast from Interpol, ICPO."

"A worldwide broadcast?" Sayu tilted her head. "From Interpol?"

"Oh, dear." Sachiko frowned. "I wonder if it's about those recent deaths that have been on the news lately."

"We now take you live to the ICPO."

The image shifted, showing a sharply dressed man with shoulder length black hair and cold, steely eyes. He sat behind a desk with his hands neatly folded. In front of him was a small header that read: LIND L. TAILOR. After a few seconds of silence, the man began to speak.

"My name is Lind L. Tailor. Otherwise referred to among the criminal underworld and the police task force as **L**." the man said in a low, almost cold voice. "I am the head of a special task force, assigned to investigating the recent events of what can only be considered the worst serial murder case in our modern history. By now, you've all come to here about how criminals from all over the globe have been dying mysterious of heart attacks. From small-time crooks with murders on their belts to the likes of even the heads of crime syndicates. The news outlets would have you believe that these deaths are all unrelated, but some among you may already know the truth. These acts are being committed by a person or persons of unknown origin."

Sayu's eyes lit up. "Ooh, I know who he's talking about!"

"You all know them as **Kira**. Some have come to think of them as some sort of divine figure. Others believe them to be agents of justice. Most would dismiss his existence, but the fact remains that they have been killing individuals who have been hunted by the law, be it from local law enforcement or from government agencies such as the FBI or CIA." Lind L. Tailor's eyes sharpened into daggers, as if glaring at some unseen foe as he raised his voice. "Kira. If you do exist, and you are listening to this, then I have a pretty good idea of why you murder these men. However, what you are trying to accomplish, what you are doing…

" _Is pure evil!"_

Light raised an eyebrow, leaning in his chair as if interested to see where this was going. Sachiko gasped in surprise, noting how passionate this man sounded as he was more or less talking to someone who may or may not exist. Sayu looked positively giddy, wondering what the man was going to be talking about next.

"No matter what the excuse is, no matter the reasons, the act of taking a life from a living, breathing creature is paramount to all the evils in the world. Even if you are guided by some sense of justice, I will not allow this continue! If you have a shred of humanity in you whatsoever, you will turn yourself over to the police. Otherwise, I will hunt you down and drag you out of hiding, wherever you may be! _I will find you_! I am **justice**!"

"Wow..." Sayu breathed. "This guy is really gun-ho."

"Yeah, no kidding." Light remarked with disinterest before he stood up. "I think I'll go to bed early."

"Alright, Light-kun." Sachiko nodded. "Have a pleasant night's rest!"

Light smiled, thanking his mother as he pushed his chair in and exited the living room, making his way up the stairs. He looked at Lind L. Tailor's fearsome face one last time before he returning to his room.

" **Kehehehehe… Things are getting interesting! He's more or less called you out, kid. What're going to do?"**

"Nothing." Light said in dismissal as he moved over to his desk, grabbing an apple from the basket his mother had set down earlier today when she was cleaning his room. "I've already anticipated something like this would happen. After all, within the past two weeks, over three hundred criminals have mysterious died of a heart attack. And that isn't even counting criminals who've died of other causes. As far as I'm concerned, my only goal is making sure my tracks are covered and the existence of the Death Note a secret. Simple as that."

" **What? You're not going to kill the guy?"**

"Now, why would I do that?" Light questioned with a frown. "I'm killing criminals and scum of the earth. I know that I might have to kill innocent people, but it will only be when I have no other choice."

" **Bo~ring!"**

The brunette rolled his eyes as he tossed the apple over to the dark figure that was sitting on his bed. "If it's boring, then why don't you go find someone else to annoy?"

" **And miss out on all the fun?"** the bizarre creature asked with a sneer. It didn't resemble a human being in the least, aside from its humanoid physique, dressed in a skin-tight black suit with chains and bindings with ashen skin and bulging red eyes that glimmered with excitement. **"Not a chance, bucko! I'm in this for the long haul."**

Light shrugged before he looked out the window. It was still raining. No different from that day, all those years ago.

Even so, he couldn't help but smile.

 _You want to play this game, L? Fine, then._ He thought, slowly developing a smile while his eyes flickered dark red. _Come on! Catch me if you can!_

* * *

" _Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds." -J. Robert Oppenheimer_


	2. Page 2

" _Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live." -Norman Cousins_

* * *

 **Death Note: Blank Pages**

* * *

Page 02: I am Shinigami

Rotting and decaying and boring.

That was how the World of Death – what the Shinigami Realm had become for Ryuk. So boring and lifeless. Day in and day out, it was the same damn thing. Writing names in notebooks, prolonging their lifespans and gambling those added years away. It was all so pointless, watching it go on and on for years on end with no signs of stopping.

It was all so...boring!

Ryuk had lived a very long time. Perhaps longer than most Shinigami. Honestly, he couldn't remember the days when he first came into being. In fact, Shinigami couldn't remember what life was like when they were born. Any that did usually tended to die young, or whatever counted as young for beings that lived for centuries, going on millennia.

Perhaps it was because of his old age that Ryuk couldn't help that his world was growing stale and boring. He sought something new and something interesting. Something that would light up his world with some fun.

He already had an idea in mind, though for now he was left to ponder on it. He knew that what he had planned wouldn't be done so easily. After all, that old man was a hard-ass and almost impossible to trick. You would have to be quite silver-tongued to get something from him. Either that, or you had to offer a hefty bribe. Ryuk intended to go for the former. Being as old as he was, it shouldn't be too hard, right?

"Hey, Ryuk!" a Shinigami called out to him from behind. One of those idiots gambling away their lifespans. "Stop skulking around and play with us! We need a fourth player over here!"

"No thanks." Ryuk huffed. "I'll pass."

* * *

(March 18th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 6:32 PM)

* * *

Six days had passed since Light had come into possession of the Death Note. Six days had come and gone since he decided to use it, killing criminals left and right like it was going out of style. Already, the media was reporting the deaths of countless of hardened criminals, all by the mere hundreds.

Currently, Light sat in his room, holding the Death Note in his hands with the door safely locked. He had taken a great many precautions in ensuring that the existence of the Death Note remained a secret, even from his own parents. He could only imagine what their reactions would be like, if they ever discovered that he was in possession of an item that could kill someone just by knowing somebody's name and face.

Even now, Light himself could scarcely believe that such an item existed, but it did exist. It was here, in his hands. And already, he had filled dozens of pages. When he first began his killing spree, he had taken into account the rules the Death Note specified and experimented. He wanted to test the limits of what he could do before he fully delved into his crusade against the criminal element.

So far, from what he could gleam based on what the media reported, assuming no details have been filtered, he could control the actions a person could take prior to their designated time of death. He had a serial killer in a maximum security prison incite a riot in the prison cafeteria before committing suicide in his cell via the sheets from his bed. Another criminal, a rapist and murderer had tried to stab a police officer in the street shortly after being released from prison, and was promptly gunned down on the spot when he attempted to escape.

However, the actions leading up to the causes of death had to be reasonable. As part of his experiment, he tasked someone with going to Paris from Tokyo in one hour. This was feasibly impossible, of course, as it would take several hours to go from Tokyo to Paris. Thus, the man simply died of a heart attack.

Between controlling the events leading up to their deaths and when they died, Light had created a system. Every hour, on the hour, a criminal would die of a heart attack. This way, if the police ever decided to investigate the idea that the one responsible was a student, given the time frames between each death, they would find themselves investigating twenty four new murders.

"It's almost scary, how easily you can create a system that can kill someone." Light remarked as he flipped through the pages. To his surprise when he first began, despite the notebook being so thin, there was seemingly no end to the pages. When he looked back to the pages that he had already written on, for criminals that have already died and served their purpose, he found that they had been erased, meaning that once the deaths occurred, the pages would erase the names and circumstances creating the cause of death and return to being blank. This way, he would never run out of pages to use. "And no one can ever trace it back to you."

It was the ultimate murder weapon, but it made him wonder how such an impossibility existed. Someone had to have made this thing. And if they did, why? For what purpose? And given the nature, would it be safe to assume that whoever created the Death Note might not have been human?

Flipping the notebook shut, Light slid it back inside his desk, closing the drawer. With all the names he had wrote down for the next few days, he imagined he would be receiving even more info on his experiments. All the while, the media would be talking about the numerous heart attack victims, every hour.

"Speaking of the police, I imagine my father's being run ragged." Light muttered. Standing up from his desk, he glanced over at the calendar hanging on his wall. "It's almost been a week since I got this thing… Heh. Time sure does fly."

* * *

(Day XX9)

* * *

A week. It had been over a week since Ryuk had implanted the seeds. By now, something should have bloomed. In truth, he was rather antsy, constantly fidgeting. Sometimes, he was tempted to just head on over and see what was going on, but he managed to keep himself busy with a bit of apple hunting.

Admittedly, they tasted like shit, but they were scarce and considered a luxury to the more older Shinigami.

"You've been restless lately, Ryuk." a Shinigami wearing bone-like armor noted as the black-clad abomination made his way past the little gathering of Shinigami. "Don't tell me you went and lost your Death Note!"

"Is old age finally catching up to you, Ryuk?" a web-footed god of death snickered.

Ryuk chuckled. "Yeah, I lost it. I'm going to see if I can get it back."

"Do you know where you dropped it?"

"The Human World." he answered with a wide grin, showing off his jagged white fangs.

The armored Shinigami fumbled as he threw the dice-like skulls, which bounced off the wooden bowl and on to the ground. "The Human World?!" he cried in disbelief. "You must be going senile! What kind of self-respecting Shinigami drops it in the Human World? Even I remember what happened the last time one of us lost it over there."

"If a human ends up finding it, you're screwed." the web-footed Shinigami told him bluntly.

Ryuk only laughed at their concerns and disbelief. Oh, if only they knew the truth! He didn't lose his Death Note. After all, he still had it with him! Of course, they didn't need to know that he had another Death Note on his person. The possession of two Death Notes was a very rare occurrence. To his knowledge, only high-ranking Shinigami, below in power to the old man were allowed to have multiple Death Notes.

Well, at any rate, it was time to get going. Striding with a bounce in his steps, Ryuk stared at the entrance to the Human World. A spiraling abyss, leading down into a sea of white. He hunched forward, allowing a pair of feathery black wings to sprout from behind his back before he dived head first into the abyss.

A white light consumed him. Had he been human, his eyes would have burned from such intensity, but as he was a Shinigami, he didn't experience such a thing. To him, it was no better than diving into water. At first, there was a disorienting feeling that made him feel out of balance, like he wasn't sure which way was up and he couldn't fly properly. It lasted only a second before he felt chilling winds lash against his gaunt face, rain pelting his long, emaciated form.

The Human World was vast as it was small. Like its own little world, trapped in a marble. Compared to the Shinigami World, it may was well have been an island, drifting along the ocean current.

Finding his fallen notebook and the human who received it shouldn't be too much trouble.

* * *

(March 24th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 2:12 PM)

* * *

"You've been happier these last couple of days, Light-kun." Yuri noted, much how Sayu and his mother had noticed following his recent acquirement of the Death Note. Amusingly, Light wondered what their reaction would be if he showed them what he could do with it. It would make for quite the memorable photo. "Did something good happen?"

"You could say that." Light answered mysteriously. "And once again, I'm sorry I couldn't attend your celebration party."

Yuri laughed and waved a hand. "Oh, it's fine. Don't worry too much. Besides, I know how much you love studying. Honestly, if you could, you would marry a textbook!"

"Would not!" Light protested.

"Would too! All jokes aside, though, have you been keeping up with the news?"

 _Keeping up?_ Light thought with a wry grin. _Yuri-san, I've_ been _making the news._

"I have. Criminals from all across the world are dying of heart attacks, one by one." Light answered, taking a bite out of his yakisoba bread. "Every day, there's been twenty-four victims and the number keeps piling up. At this rate, it's only a matter of time before ICPO calls in a meeting with every country in the world"

And when that happened, he knew he had to be prepared. After all, killing criminals on such a grand scale? There was no way they wouldn't act! Sure, they would be rejoicing at the idea of the scum of the earth dropping dead, but the fact that they were dying, and the possibility that they were being killed by some unseen assailant, would be enough to scare them out of their wits. They would create some form of countermeasure, or launch an official investigation.

He had to admit, the prospect of facing off against opponents from all across the globe made him _very_ interested. What would it be like, facing off against such grand minds? Having them chase after leads that didn't even exist while trying to find a killer that could not be found? It sounded like the greatest mystery novel in the making.

At this line of thought, Light wondered if he would even get the chance to face off against the greatest mind in the entire world. Though he had never seen them, he knew them by reputation alone. A modern day Sherlock Holmes. The brilliant and mysterious "L."

 _Calm down, Yagami. Getting ahead of yourself here._ Light chided. It was a bit early for him to be so presumptuous. For now, he would continue playing things by ear. Once his "opponents" made a move, then he would perform the counter.

* * *

(March 27th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 8:53 PM)

* * *

Light had finished writing yet another entry in the notebook, another seventy-two criminals who were about to find themselves clutching at their chests as they desperately clinged to life, when he suddenly felt the air in his room turn cold. A shiver ran down his spine. He could faintly see his own breath, something that should be impossible.

"What…?"

" **Kehehehe… Looks like you've taken a liking to that notebook."** a hoarse voice called out to him with a laugh.

Light turned around and promptly screamed, falling out of his chair. The Death Note flew out of his hands, flopping to the wooden floor. Standing there behind him was a creature, vaguely human but only in shape, wearing a skin-tight black suit that resembled some kind of rocker's outfit, complete with thin silvery seams and chains with a black tuft of hair sticking around the collar. It was twice his height, bearing sickly pale skin that looked as if it was being pulled back, given it a gaunt appearance; sunken cheeks at bulging eyes with no pupils whatsoever. Its fingers were thing and elongated, almost like those of a spider. And that was to say nothing of its mouth, which was open in a wide grin and lined with sharp fangs.

"What-" Light found himself struggling for air, his heart racing. "What the fuck _are_ you?!"

" **My name is Ryuk."** the creature introduced itself with a round of laughter. **"Or, at least, that's as close as humans can get to pronouncing it right. I'm a god of death. In the Japanese language, a _Shinigami_."** Light's eyes widened at this, staring at it in disbelief. This was a shinigami? An actual grim reaper? He expected to see an angel of death, or perhaps a skeletal creature hiding behind a tattered robe, not whatever this thing was! **"I'm the owner of that Death Note you picked up."**

He choked. "You-? _You're_ the owner of that notebook?"

" **That's what I just said, bucko."** Ryuk chuckled. **"For someone who looks so smart, you're not quite sharp on the uptake, aren't ya?"** Ignoring the brown-haired teen's spluttering noises, Ryuk bent down and picked up his Death Note. Its grin, which seemed permanently glued to its face, seemed to grow even wider as it let out a whistle. **"Not bad. I don't think I've ever seen a human every write so many names this before! Most humans are scared out of their minds after the first few or so, but you've gone and filled up over thirty pages worth!"**

Light stared at Ryuk for a moment longer. He had never been able to keep track of how many pages in the Death Note he filled up, since after the criminal was dead the name was seemingly erased from the page, allowing for him to write on it again. If it claimed to know how many pages he had written in…

...well, he did wonder if it was something other than human who made this thing in the first place. Clamoring up to his feet and pulling his chair back into its proper position, Light looked back at Ryuk, with slight fear in his eyes. "So… You're a Shinigami."

" **Yep."** Ryuk said, dragging out the word with a 'pop' at the end. **"And you're the human, Light Yagami. I must say, you've certainly been a busy boy, killing so many people."**

He ignored the twinge of guilt in his heart, squashing it down without mercy. He wasn't allowed to feel guilty for his actions, especially when he had purposely embarked on this path. Sucking in a breath to calm himself down, Light folded his arms.

"Why did you come here, Shinigami?" he asked as politely as he could in this situation. "Did you come to take back the Death Note? Or did you come to take my soul?"

Ryuk stared at Light for a moment before he began to laugh like he had just heard the funniest joke. **"Taking your soul? You humans do come up with the strangest things!"** it cackled before calming down, holding the notebook out. Hesitantly, Light accepted it back. **"No. The Death Note becomes a part of the Human World from the moment it touches the ground. And once it comes into** **the hands of a human, it belongs to them. At least until you die. After that, I can take it back. Of course, you** _ **could**_ **destroy the notebook or give it back to me. In either case, though, I'd have to remove your memories of it."**

"I see." Light nodded in understanding. Walking over to his desk, Light set the notebook on it before turning back to Ryuk. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to ask you something. Did you give the notebook to me, or did you just happen to drop it by accident?"

" **Well, I wouldn't call it an accident."** the Shinigami shrugged its shoulders. **"But I didn't choose you specifically. To be honest, I didn't really care who picked up the notebook. I was just bored out of my mind, that's all. In my world, all we Shinigami do is just write the names of humans who are going to die in our notebooks or just gamble our lives away in useless games. It's all so maddening and stifling. I needed a sense of excitement in my life, so I dropped my Death Note into the human world to see what kind of human would pick it up."**

It leaned forward, staring at Light with a certain fascination. It was almost as if it was studying him. **"I have to say, I'm not disappointed."**

He would be lying if he said he didn't feel uncomfortable, being looked at so intently. Turning away from Ryuk's gaze, Light looked elsewhere – anywhere that meant he didn't have to look at this creature in front of him. Ryuk seemed to laugh, clearly aware how uncomfortable it was making him before it backed away.

" **Still, I am curious. Why kill so many humans? Playing judge, jury and executioner?"**

"Of sorts." Light answered. "Mind if I ask another question? What do you know about our world, Shinigami? More specifically, how we deal with criminals and lowlifes who cause trouble for other honest, kind and hard working people?"

" **Don't know anything about it."** Ryuk answered honestly.

"When the police capture a criminal, one of four things happen. One: they're locked away behind bars, spending the rest of their miserable lives away in a small confined cell, surrounded by scum just like them inside a tiny concrete box, where they could die any moment. Two: they're put in front of a firing squad and promptly shot full of holes, or strapped to a table and then get a needle stuck in their arm before dying of poison. Three: the court considers their actions to be grievous, but not bad enough to warrant a life in prison. Eventually, they'll be allowed to leave and return to society. And finally, four: the court decides that, in spite of everything they know this person has done, he's guilty in the eyes of the law and allows him to walk away a free man."

Light spat out that last one, eyes burning with fury. For a moment, he was lost in a memory, sitting in a bench while staring at a man dressed in a suit, who smirked back at him before he pulled himself out of his trance and returned to reality.

"The justice system is flawed. Whether it's because law enforcement is inept or corrupt, because someone bribed a judge or rigged it so that they would be innocent, the fact remains that the so-called Court of Law is nothing but a sham. A game that can be rigged by anyone holding the right cards. If it was just that, I could have maybe accepted that. Wanted to change it. But _no._ It's not just that. The worst part is that nobody outside the system tries to do anything. They just let these people walk free, letting them do as they please. Letting them hurt more lives. Poison others like the vermin they are."

" **Yeesh, you're preaching to the quire."** Ryuk rolled its eyes. **"But I think I get the basic idea. You want to to fix that system by getting rid of all the dirty individuals involved, is that right? Including the guys that get to go free or got off easy."**

"No." Ryuk tilted its head, surprised by his answer. "There's no such thing as the perfect system. Even if I change it, sooner or later, it will become flawed again. That's the nature of things in this word. You're only half-right, Shinigami." Light looked at the creature, eyes narrowed and burning with passion, hands clenched into fists. "I want to make a world where honest, kind and hard-working people exist. People who can work to change systems like that. A world where parasites like that don't exist."

The black-clad god of death stared at Light in surprise. In all the years it had existed, it had never quite come across a human such as this. Such passion. Such a strong sense of justice this one carried. Like a bastion of righteousness. Yet so arrogant and pompous, like a king riding upon a white horse with crown on his brow. Its lips curled into a sneer. **"But in a world like that, you'd be the only bad person left. Isn't that a contradiction?"**

Light smiled thinly. "Of course it is. I'm not a god. God doesn't exist in this world. I'm just a human being who's flawed. Someone who becomes a murderer to get rid of murderers. That's all there is to it." His smile vanished and his passionate flare returned, raising his voice slightly. "And no matter what happens, I _will_ change this rotting world. Even if I had to give up my life in the process. I'll do whatever it takes, even if I have to become the worst monster this world has ever seen!"

 _It's just as I thought…_

Ryuk shook slightly, reeling from such words before its grin threatened to break its face in haf.

 _Humans...truly are amazing! What fun they are!_

* * *

(March 29th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 11:46 PM)

* * *

In Okinawa, delegates from all across the world had gathered in one of the many corporate buildings owned by the ICPO. From chief policemen from across the globe to members of high-ranking government agencies to even members of the military. There was not a single person of importance that wasn't present. Even Soichiro Yagami was made to attend with the younger, more inexperienced detective Matsuda.

"So many people..." Matsuda marveled in awe. "I knew the ICPO was important and all, but all of these people..."

"They're from every level of law enforcement on the planet. Including the top brass." Soichiro told him as he took his seat, resting his leg on his knee and folding his hands on his lap while patiently waiting for the meeting to begin. "Then again, that is to be expected. Criminals are dying of heart attacks for seemingly no reason at all. Everyone's spooked, and they want answers."

"They think someone's behind it?"

"Possibly. You can never rule anything out." the man replied. At that moment, the room darkened. "The meeting's starting." Matsuda nodded, wisely keeping his voice down.

At the front of the room, a representative from the Japanese administrative walked out, old with thinning gray hair and a suitcase in hand. Taking his seat at the desk, situated in the center, the man set his suitcase down next to him and took his seat, clearing his throat. After a quick mic check, the representative began.

"I am Shiguichi, a member of the National Diet. We will now begin the meeting. As many of you are aware, within the past two weeks, individuals from across the world have begun dying of mysterious circumstances. To put it simply, they have died of heart attacks. Were these men of old age, perhaps it would be understandable, but the number of deaths that have occurred and the ages of these individuals bring these events into the spotlight. Will Mr. Wilder from the Federal Bureau of Intelligence and Ms. Emily from the Central Intelligence Agency please rise?"

A man and a woman from the far right side of the room stood, both with blonde hair and grim faces. The man in the black suit began. "In over 30 states, there is an estimated death toll of well over 300 criminals. 123 of which were convicted criminals with a lifelong sentence, 54 scheduled for death row and 12 who were to be released on parol. The cause of death is listed as heart attacks."

"In 6 states, several wanted individuals who have repeatedly escaped arrest were recently found dead." the woman in the dark blue suit went next, tone clipped and tired as if she hadn't had a decent night of sleep. "Four of these individuals were international terrorists, who's identities were leaked to the public. Most notable of which Osama Bin Laden, who was discovered dead in a motel room in Houston, Texas. According to what was discovered, he was apparently planning a trip back to his homeland, with a list of instructions and plans for several planned attacks in the states and in the Middle East. The cause of death was a heart attack."

"Bin Laden?" Matsuda said, surprised. "He's among the dead too?!"

Shiguichi nodded. "Will delegate Mr. Bolevski of the Foreign Intelligence Agency make his report?"

A broad man with frost white hair and an impressive beard stood up, holding a set of papers in his enormous hands. "In Moscow, Novosibirsk, and Yekaterinburg, several hundred convicted murderers, rapists and drug dealers, all of whom were either serving a life sentence or scheduled for an execution, died while in state custody. The cause of death was a heart attack. Outside of the prison walls, however, over thirty criminals who have also been escaping the law were discovered dead, having also died of heart attacks. Three of these individuals were suspected members of the extremist Communist movement in the southern parts of Russia, wanted for fifteen accounts of murder, four accounts of attempted murder, twenty-five accounts of destruction of government property and other various crimes."

 _Good god…_ Soichiro thought with dread, a pit forming in his stomach as he heard a delegate report more and more deaths. With the death count officially rising into the _thousands_ , the man knew immediately that whatever was happening, it surely wasn't a coincidence. So many dead because of a heart attack? All within the span of two weeks?

Something was going on. But what could it possibly be? A vigilante organization? Impossible. Some of the prisons were among the most heavily fortified in their respective nations, and some of the criminals that were on the run have escaped custody for _years_! Some were even internationally wanted terrorists for crying out loud. His next thought was an act of god, but he banished that thought immediately.

Who would believe that all of this was some sort of act of God?

"If these incidents are indeed the actions of murder, then it brings to question who could be responsible for such a grand scale?" a Thailand delegate asked with trepidation. "It surely can't be a single individual. The death toll alone is far too large for it to be done by one person!"

"Assuming it is being done by a large organization or group, what do they stand to gain?" another delegate asked with a frown. "What do they hope to accomplish by killing criminals? Some of these men were already slated to be executed! What's the point?"

Questions and theories were being tossed around, some with little basis. Eventually, accusations and slander started to make their way into the talks, leading several other more calm-minded delegates to cease this nonsense. Soichiro frowned heavily as he folded his arms. That was a good question. What do they stand to gain by killing criminals? It had to be based on the idea of some kind of justice, but for what? What gain?

The man couldn't think of an answer.

"We're simply going around in circles by this point!" Ms. Emily pointed out, growing agitated. "We don't have any leads, much less answers. It's pointless for us to be making accusations or throwing theories!"

"Then what do you propose we do?"

Just then, an elderly voice cut in, sharp like a knife. "Please, be silent." Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to a man entering the room, dressed in a dark trench coat and fedora, scarf wrapped around his neck and covering his face. In hand was a large attache case. Soichiro's eyes widened in surprise, as had many other delegates. Quite a few people in the room recognized this person, even though his face was shrouded.

Without another word, he slowly made his way to the podium. Matsuda looked around in confusion, noticing how everyone had suddenly gone quiet and began whispering to each other. "Hey, Chief." he leaned over to his superior. "Who's that?"

"That is Watari." Soichiro answered, his voice tense while sitting up straighter. "No one knows who he is or what he looks like underneath those clothes. He rarely appears, and when he does, it's when _he_ has taken an interest in a case."

"He?"

"The greatest mind in the world. The modern day Sherlock Holmes."

The man, Watari, bowed his head to Shiguichi. The latter nodded back and stood up, moving away from the desk and allowing Watari to set the case down on its surface before opening it up, connecting a cable to it's side. Moments later, the large screen behind him lit up, revealing a stylized letter in the Arthurian Alphabet.

" _ **LADIES AND GENTLEMEN."**_ a synthesized voice spoke, scrambled yet with a clipped tone of respect for those present. _**"MEMBERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL POLICE ORGANIZATION. I AM...L."**_

"To think he would actually show..." Soichiro muttered in shock and surprise. Matsuda tilted his head in confusion. "Like Watari, L's identity is shrouded in mystery. Even more so because nobody knows what the man even looks like. He's solved some of the most bizarre and unusual cases this world has ever seen. A genius beyond compare. However, he's also particularly hard to contact. To our knowledge, Watari is the only person who knows how to communicate with him. And he only takes on cases he's taken an interest in."

" _ **THE DIFFICULTY OF THIS PARTICULAR CASE LIES NOT IN THE INDIVIDUALS, BUT IN THE GRAND SCALE IT IS BEING CARRIED OUT."**_ L spoke. **_"LET ME BE CLEAR. THESE ARE THE ACTIONS OF A MASS MURDERER. AN INDIVIDUAL WHO CANNOT BE FORGIVEN, NO MATTER WHAT REASONS THEY MAY HAVE. IN ORDER TO SOLVE THIS CASE, I ASK THAT THOSE OF YOU PRESENT HERE PROVIDE COOPERATION TO THE FULLEST. THAT IS TO SAY, EVERY MAJOR ORGANIZATION THROUGHOUT THE WORLD. TO SOLVE THIS CASE, YOU MUST FULLY SUPPORT THE INVESTIGATION. ADDITIONALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THE JAPANESE NATIONAL POLICE AGENCY ASSIST ME ON THIS MATTER."_**

Soichiro and Matsuda's eyes widened in surprise, looking at one another before the latter stood up, clearly confused. "Beg your pardon, L-san, but why Japan in particular?" he asked respectfully. "As we've discussed, these deaths have been occurring all over the world. Why are you requesting help from Japan specifically?"

" _ **BECAUSE I BELIEVE OUR CULPRIT IS CURRENTLY RESIDING IN JAPAN."**_ the man answered, much to the shock of everyone present. **_"TO PROVE THIS THEORY, I WOULD LIKE TO ENLIST YOUR COOPERATION TO CONFRONT THEM DIRECTLY."_**

"C-confront?"

 _He wants a meeting with the culprits?_ Soichiro thought in shock. _How would he even do that? What does he have planned?_

* * *

(April 1st, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:21 PM)

* * *

L's plan, as it turned out, was a rather simple one. To put it simply, they would be performing a stunt double. An inmate, scheduled to be executed within the next two hours, would appear on live television and announce himself as "L." L believed that the culprit, who had been named as Kira by the public, would kill Lind L. Tailor if he provoked the killer. Soichiro thought it was rather morbid and cruel. While Tailor may have been a criminal and was going to die in the next two hours, it was still a cruel thing to do.

Strangely, however, Tailor himself didn't seem to mind. In fact, he had hoped that his death would contribute to something. It was odd, how a man who was going to die today regardless could walk to his gallows so calmly and with a disarming smile. It made the man make a mental note to investigate what crimes this person committed to make him so calm.

On a part of brilliance, the broadcast would be announced as being done nationwide, when it reality it was being broadcasted within a specific region. Unless Kira had access to police intelligence, there was no way they would know about this ruse.

Everyone in the police department watched the broadcast being carried out, the air thick with tension. Matsuda looked deeply uncomfortable, clearly unsettled with the same troubles Soichiro was facing. "I know he's supposed to be the greatest detective, but this is just messed up."

"Tell me about it." Aizawa remarked. "I'm just wondering if this is actually going to pay off."

The rest of Japan, or more accurately those Kanto region, watched the broadcast being carried out. Those who had been supporters of Kira couldn't help but regard Lind L. Tailor in contempt, believing that he would never be able to capture Kira, whereas others who were indecisive hoped that whoever was behind these murders would be caught soon. They didn't necessarily hate Kira, but they felt scared of what they didn't understand.

After a minute, nothing seemed to happen. In fact, it seemed like the broadcast would end. However, Lind L. Tailor's face suddenly contorted. Grunting, he clutched his chest, his face pained before he suddenly collapsed on the desk. Everyone gasped in shock, realizing what had just happened. The police force themselves were shocked by what they had seen. Matsuda looked a little sick, putting a hand to his mouth and looking away.

"No way..." Aizawa muttered in disbelief. "He...he died?"

Soichiro's eyes hardened, working his jaw. "Then it seems L was correct after all. The culprit. Kira. He's here in Japan. Here in Kanto..."

Quickly, Soichiro ordered two of his men to carry the man's body out. As it was being pulled away, the broadcast flickered, glitching into static before the stylized insignia of the greatest detective himself appeared on screen.

" _ **I..."**_ Surprisingly, even L himself sounded surprised, in spite of his voice being distorted and scrambled. **_"I HAD TO TEST THIS, JUST TO BE SURE, BUT TO THINK IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED. KIRA… IT SEEMS YOU TRULY CAN KILL A MAN WITHOUT HAVING TO BE THERE YOURSELF. I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IT, IF I HADN'T WITNESSED IT MYSELF._**

 _ **LISTEN TO ME, KIRA. THE MAN YOU MURDERED JUST NOW, LIND L. TAILOR? HE WAS A DEATH ROW INMATE, WHO'S EXECUTION WAS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY. HE WAS TO BE HANGED TWO HOURS FROM NOW. THAT WAS NOT ME. HIS ARREST WAS KEPT SECRET, SO THE PUBLIC WOULDN'T BE AWARE OF HIS ACTIVITIES. IT APPEARS NOT EVEN YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF INFORMATION."**_

Everyone in Kanto stared at the screen in surprise. Some couldn't help but feel shocked that such lengths would be taken in order to confront a killer, but others were impressed by the ruse this L had created.

" _ **BUT I AM L. I DO EXIST."**_ L stated. **_"NOW, TRY TO KILL_ ME!"**

"Wait, what?!" Matsuda cried. "Has he lost his mind?!"

Matsuda's statement was shared by the public. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. This wasn't just a confrontation, this must have been suicide.

"This guy's crazy!"

"What the heck is going on?"

"Do it, Kira! Kill him!"

"Shouldn't somebody stop this?!"

" _ **WHAT'S THE MATTER?! COME ON, DO IT! YOU JUST KILLED THAT MAN, DIDN'T YOU?! I'M RIGHT HERE, KIRA! C'MON! KILL ME! CAN'T YOU DO IT?!"**_

Seconds ticked by, and nothing happened. Eventually, L fell silent. Initially, they wondered if Kira had succeeded in killing L before he spoke again, this time in a more calm and cool manner. **_"INTERESTING… SEEMS YOU CAN'T KILL ME, KIRA. PEOPLE EVEN YOU CAN'T KILL. YOU'VE GIVEN ME A USEFUL HINT. IN THAT CASE, I'LL LET YOU IN A SECRET. WHILE THE REPORT SAID THIS WAS BEING BROADCASTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE "TRUTH IS THAT WE'RE ONLY BROADCASTING THIS IN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, HERE IN THE KANTO REGION. INITIALLY, I HAD PLANNED TO BROADCAST THIS IN OTHER REGIONS, BUT IT SEEMS THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THAT._**

" _ **WHY KANTO IN PARTICULAR, YOU MIGHT ASK. THE ANSWER LIES IN ONE OF YOUR VICTIMS. IN FACT, I SUSPECT YOUR VERY FIRST KILL. KUROU OTOHARADA. HE HAD WOUNDED SEVERAL PEOPLE WHILE TAKING REFUGE INSIDE A DAYCARE CENTER, AND REPORTEDLY COLLAPSED. HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK. WHILE HE WAS INDEED A CRIMINAL, AND A MINOR ONE AT THAT, HIS ACTIONS WERE ONLY REPORTED WITHIN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE KANTO REGION.**_

" _ **YOU'VE ONLY RECENTLY GAINED THIS NEWFOUND SKILLSET. THIS UNCANNY ABILITY TO KILL WITHOUT BEING PRESENT AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. IN ORDER WORDS, YOU'VE ONLY BEEN AT THIS FOR TWO WEEKS. I USED THIS INFORMATION TO DEDUCE AT LEAST**_ **THAT** ** _MUCH._**

" _ **I AM CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE CAPABLE OF KILLING PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING AS MUNDANE AS A HEART ATTACK, BUT I BELIEVE I CAN HAVE MY ANSWERS WHEN I CONFRONT YOU DIRECTLY. WITH YOU BEHIND BARS, AWAITING YOUR EXECUTION.**_

" _ **I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING, KIRA."**_

The broadcast ended, leaving everyone in an uproar.

Elsewhere in Japan, inside a small little hotel, a blonde-haired girl stared at the screen of her TV, utterly shaken before she whimpered. "...I screwed up."

* * *

" _Death may be the greatest of all human blessings." -Socrates_


	3. Page 3

" _I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity." -Edgar Allen Poe_

* * *

 **Death Note: Blank Pages**

* * *

Page 03: I am Love(?)

Ever since the day the man who murdered her parents was allowed to walk free, Misa Amane felt as if her world had become a desolate wasteland. Everything had changed when that day came, when her parents had been taken from her.

The trial was drawn out, taking several months. Every day, she envisioned how it would play out. Sitting in one of the many rows of seats as the bastard stood there on trial. She imagined that he would be sentenced to death. Or at the very least, imprisoned for life.

But that didn't happen. At some point during investigation, someone thought he was framed. That he was innocent. She wanted to slap whoever said that and then punch him in the face, asking if he was the one who just witnessed their parents murdered right in front of them. Then, on the day the trial came, everything she thought would happen crumbled apart.

When the verdict happened, she was stunned into disbelief. She was only snapped out of her stupor when a man called Mikami had told her that the trial was over and that she was the only one left in the room. She didn't go home immediately. She just wandered around the city, left in an utter stupor.

 _This can't be happening. There's just no way. It can't…_

By the time she found her way back to her apartment, she could only slump down into a fetal position and bury her face in her hands. She wanted to find a hole and crawl in it and never come out. Just, how could this have happened? How in the hell did they ever come to this conclusion?! Innocent?! That was bullshit! She saw him kill them with her own two eyes! She-she…

She didn't know what to do.

* * *

(March 20th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 8:19 AM)

* * *

Misa looked like a wreck. There were bags under her eyes from her lack of sleep. She didn't know how long she had been up all night, crying like a baby. Her eyes were red and sore. She didn't even remember going to bed last night. All she remembered was coming home, holing herself up in her bathroom, and then everything went blank.

 _What day is it today…?_ She thought, her mind blurry as she walked back into her bathroom. She looked at the mirror and realized how horrible she looked. Her hair was unhinged and messy, pigtails undone and sticking out all over the place. Her makeup was ruined, making it look like she had black tears running down her face.

"...I look like shit." Misa muttered with a sad smile. She turned on the faucet and splashed warm water against her face. Rubbing her hands against her face, she peeled away the destroyed makeup and pulled her face back, showing it unblemished. However, her face was deathly pale.

Staring at her reflection, Misa noted that she looked beautiful. Like a younger version of her mother. Her heart ached as tears threatened to swell in her face again, remembering how her mother used to compliment her looks and insisted that she take great care of her hair, calling it one of the best features she could possibly have had. When the thoughts came to her, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing again and found herself collapsing to the floor again.

This wasn't fair. Why did this happen? Why was that man allowed to walk free after he killed her parents? He didn't deserve to walk free!

So, why…?

* * *

(March 20th, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 4:45 PM)

* * *

By the time Misa had managed to pull herself out of another depression funk, she couldn't find the strength to call her agency and tell them she was going to skip out on the next shoot. They had called her, but she didn't answer. She just sat there on her bed, staring out aimlessly outside the window.

When she had any strength to do anything, she turned on the TV, finding only a handful of channels that barely had her interest. At best, they only lasted for about ten minutes before she changed the channel.

" _-in other news, the recent string of deaths continues worldwide."_ A news channel came on, showing something that did earn her attention, if only for a while. _"All across the globe, criminals have mysterious been dying of heart attacks. The number of deaths that have been occurring are beyond anything has ever seen. Some say that these deaths are the actions taken by an individual, who the public has begun to call Kira. At this time, the ICPO has not announced any information or updates, claiming that they are still investigating the matter."_

Misa stared at the television screen for a moment in wonder. Someone had been killing criminals? Her moment went to the bastard who killed her family. After a moment, she stood up from her bed, removing the covers from her body and went over to her desk, grabbing her laptop. Bringing it over to her bed, she opened it and began stroking several keys.

There were several forums about this Kira individual. More than she could barely could have counted. Hell, she just typing "Kira" had brought up several pages with results, all of which pertaining to the individual in question. There were a lot of theories about them. Some claiming that he was a messenger of hell sent to Earth to punish sinners. It was a bunch of religious talk that she didn't put much stock, but most agreed on one thing: that what he was doing was making the world a better place by getting rid of these criminals.

After about an hour of investigating Kira, she began searching about the person who murdered her parents. She found an immediate result, one that made her eyes widen. With a shaky finger, she immediately opened up the article.

Kuroda Hanaka had only just been declared a free man before suffering a heart attack. Kuroda was accused of burglary and murder, but at some point in the investigation, people began to believe that Kuroda was falsely accused of his crime. He was arrested and put under suspicion for several months, and last week, he was announced a free man.

A few days following his release after being declared innocent, however, Kuroda suffered a heart attack inside his apartment building. He was discovered by his landlord, who said she wanted to discuss his move to another complex due to it undergoing renovations. Some believe that it was because of stress, but with the recent string of deaths happening across the world, police are investigating the circumstances of his death.

Misa stared at the article, rereading it maybe a hundred times before she fell on her back, tears rolling down her laughs, devolving into broken, joyous laughter.

That night, she slept better than she had ever since the man was arrested.

* * *

(March 22nd, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 3:25 PM)

* * *

After a quick call from her agency, Misa found that her manager had been relatively understanding of her whole ordeal and asked that she take as much time as she needed before returning to work. She thought the man was an absolute saint and sweet, but she felt better than she ever been.

By some twist of fate, Kira had killed Kuroda. Her parents were avenged. If Kira did exist, she swore she'd kiss them and thank them for everything. Just who were they? How did they do it? Did they know everything? Before she realized it, Misa found her thoughts swirling all around them. A lot of people didn't believe in Kira, but she wanted to. By god, she wanted to believe that they existed. Whoever they were, they earned all the thanks they deserved.

The whole day, Misa found herself at home, only going out for food and to check mail. The rest of her day was spent online, looking up stories about Kira and stories like hers. People who had lost their loved ones, and those responsible punished appropriately. It was amazing, reading all these articles. With each new story, her mind drifted further and further into what kind of person Kira was.

 _I want to meet them._ Misa decided with a firm nod. _I want to meet Kira!_

She sounded so much like a fan girl. She realized that, but she didn't care. When she looked into Kira further, she could only find disappointment. So many people were claiming to know Kira or be Kira, but she looked at things from a logical stand point. With so many deaths occurring, it was strange how no one seemed to come forward and take credit. No one bothered turning themselves over to the police or claim to be involved, aside from what she was reading online.

Kira wanted to remain anonymous. There was a chance that Kira probably didn't even realized that they had such an enormous following. They wanted to act in secret and didn't care about the fame or glory. All they cared about was their work.

Misa pursed her lips and folded her arms. Trying to find Kira was going to be harder than she thought it would be. How was she supposed to go about this? If Kira wanted to remain anonymous, she was going to have to rely on her gut and what little information she could trust, if there was any information at all.

Closing her laptop, Misa stretched her arms and stared up at the ceiling. "What are you like, I wonder…?" she pondered. Kira must be driven by some form of justice if the were only after criminals. But why? What would drive them to do this? Whatever the case was, she wanted to know as much as she could about them.

As she was putting her laptop away, Misa noticed something on the floor, sitting at the foot of her bed. "What?" It was a white notebook, incredibly thin with English words scribbled at the front. "Death Note?"

Misa owned a few notebooks, but she didn't recall owning one quite like this. Putting the laptop on her bed, she bent down and scooped it up. It felt warm, pleasant to the touch. Then she blinked, noticing a bizarre pair of feet in her field of vision. Slowly, she looked up, finding a strange individual standing in front of her and gasped.

"...how pretty." was the first thing that came out of her mouth.

The being in front of her tilted it's head, surprised by her words. **"I believe this is the first time any creature has addressed me as such."** it said in genuine surprise. If Misa thought it looked beautiful, others would see it as hideous. While it possessed a feminine face, it's features were disfigured with sunken cheeks and a glowing yellow eye. The rest of its body was either covered in bone or in bandages. **"I'm surprised you are not startled by my presence, Misa Amane."**

Misa blinked. "How do you know my name?" she asked curiously. "Who are you?"

" **I've known you since the day you were ushered into existence. However, this is the first we've met. Had circumstances been different, we would never be meeting like this. As to what I am, I...am a god of death. In your language, I am known as a Shinigami. You may call me Rem."**

* * *

(March 23rd, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 3:02 PM)

* * *

Had somebody told Misa that Shinigami existed, she would have told them that they must've been religious. She didn't believe in gods, for if they did, they wouldn't have allowed Kuroda to walk out of that courtroom a free man. When she learned of Kira and that he had, unknowingly, avenged her parents' deaths, she believe that gods did exist in this world. Following Rem's appearances and her explanation behind the notebook in her possession, she believed that was a Shinigami or aided by one.

Rem explained as best she could about everything pertaining to the Death Note. To put it simply, it was the means by which Kira was killing criminals left and right all over the world. By knowing what a person looked like and knowing their name, you could kill them in any way, shape or form. By simply writing their names, they die of a heart attack. Kira killed using this particular method, making it their signature calling card of sorts. However, it was possible that Kira was killing criminals in other ways, making the death tool even higher than she thought possible. Just how many criminals had this mysterious god-like figure kill already?

Rem also explained her being here in Misa's apartment and why she gave her the Death Note. During the time when Kuroda was under investigation following his arrest, Misa had learned that a crazed stalker was following her around. When she attempted to confront him, he had pulled a knife on her and tried to kill her, claiming that if he couldn't have her, then no one else deserved her. She was so frightened that she had closed her eyes and plugged her ears. When the end didn't come for her, she only saw the man's body lying before her, unmoving.

As it turned out, the man had died of a heart attack. Misa discovered why: Rem's closest friend, Gelus, another Shinigami, had fallen for her. The idea of a god of death being in love with a human was enough to throw her for a loop, but Rem explained it to her that, the concept of "love" is more or less confusing and not the same as a human's understanding. Whether Gelus considered this love as romantic or as little more than affection for her, she didn't know. Even so, he loved her to the point that he broke a sacred rule.

Shinigami, surprisingly, had rules that were in place. While most rules weren't followed, there were some that couldn't be ignored, namely because of the immediate effects. Among those rules was saving the life of a human. Misa Amane was meant to die at the hands of that stalker, but Gelus had prolonged her life. In doing so, however, he died instead. A Shinigami is meant to take a life, not save it. Thus, when he violated this rule, he was reduced to dust.

Misa wept at this story. "I'm sorry." she apologized strongly to Rem. "I took your friend from you!"

" **There is no need for you to apologize, Misa."** Rem told her gently with a sad smile. **"Gelus understood the rules well. He was among the few that did, and he still saved your life. That Death Note was originally his. I believed it was best that I give it to you. I believe I should also tell you that, because Gelus died for your sake, what little of his life span he had left was transferred to you."**

Misa blinked, wiping away her tears. "Shinigami...can die?" she asked, baffled. How could a god of death die? Weren't they immortal?

" **We Shinigami are not eternal creatures. We can die like any other living creature. We can, however, extend our lives by taking away the life spans of those who's time has not yet come."** Rem explained. **"That is why the Death Notes exist. So that we take lives to extend our own. However, some have lived so long that they have forgotten why we carry these books, and die of old age naturally."**

From there, Rem explained the sort of world the Shinigami Realm was. All Shinigami possessed a rank, but that was it. A meaningless title and station that meant nothing to them, as it didn't affect their work. However, they still needed to adhere to the rules set by the Shinigami King. When Misa asked what kind of being the Shinigami King was, Rem that he was a being beyond both Shinigami and human understanding. He was an existence that defied all logic. He was, by far, the oldest being in existence. Rem admitted that she was unsure if the Shinigami King was a Shinigami or another being altogether.

By the end of the day, Misa had learned everything about Shinigami society, and everything pertaining to the Death Note. The applications were absolutely amazing. With it, one could change the world, which Misa knew that was what Kira was doing. They were making the world a better place, killing criminals and getting rid of corrupt individuals.

 _Maybe, with this, I can help Kira!_ Misa thought, giddy. If she helped Kira kill criminals, maybe she could have the opportunity to meet them! _Oh, but Rem said that if I used it, I won't be able to see Heaven. Or Hell, for that matter._

Rem said that there were three realms that waited for humans in the afterlife. Heaven, for honest and pure souls, and Hell for those who had committed a grave wrongdoing. The third plane of existence was one that was exclusive to those who's souls were either too far gone or "didn't belong in the Human World." Or souls who had been touched by the hands of death, those who wielded the power of the Death Note. Humans are not meant to wield the power of death, and therefore, they are barred entry from both Heaven and Hell alike.

This third realm was known as Mu. "Nothingness," Rem called it. A desolate world where one existed, but at the same time, could not exist. A world of stillness and silence.

It sounded scary, and Misa didn't want to go there. She wanted to go to Heaven, so she could see her parents again.

With two conflicting sides, Misa was unable to think properly and decided to hold off on further thought. For now, she would enjoy her newfound company. Rem felt...gentle. Nice. Safe.

It was hard to think of her as a Shinigami, especially when she had gone to all this trouble just to tell her that she would now live a life beyond that of a human.

* * *

(April 1st, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:19 PM)

* * *

In the following days, Misa had found life to be much more vibrant. Somehow, Rem's presence had created the lift she needed to be more bold and outgoing. Her manager even said as much when he saw how "beautiful" she had become. He described her as a star, rising higher and higher than ever before.

At first, the blonde fashion model worried that Rem would quickly grow bored during her tenure, but surprising, the Shinigami didn't mind. While she didn't exactly being in the presence of other humans besides herself, she was enduring it for her sake. Touched by this, Misa promised that she wouldn't subject her to being around too many people unless absolutely necessary.

After the shooting was done, Misa had booked a small apartment in the Kanto area. With her work skyrocketing, she decided it was time to relocate. She had taken some time to search for a suitable place to live. If she was going to be taking more jobs extensively around Japan, she thought it would be best if she booked a place that was close to everywhere all at once. To put it simply, somewhere in Tokyo.

While looking online for an apartment in that area, or a house within a suitable price range, Misa turned on the TV for Rem. Somehow, Rem had developed a strange fondness for foreign drama shows, particularly of the romance scene. It made her giggle, thinking that it was probably because of her previous explanation about Shinigami having different ideas about the concept of "love."

Then the channel was taken over by a news broadcast, directly taken from the ICPO. Without a doubt, it was in regards to Kira. Excited at the idea that the police were making a response or releasing some kind of information about Kira, she closed her laptop and paid close attention.

Shown on the news was a man with dark hair and a stone expression, eyes cold while dressed in a sharp suit. "My name is Lind L. Tailor. Otherwise referred to among the criminal underworld and the police task force as L." he introduced himself in a low and professional voice. "I am the head of a special task force, assigned to investigating the recent events of what can only be considered the worst serial murder case in our modern history. By now, you've all come to hear about how criminals from all over the globe have been dying mysteriously of heart attacks. From small-time crooks with murders on their belts to the likes of even the heads of crime syndicates. The news outlets would have you believe that these deaths are all unrelated, but some among you may already know the truth. These acts are being committed by a person or persons of unknown origin."

Indeed! Kira was an unknown. There was almost no information, aside from the occult nonsense. What Misa knew to be fact, however, was that Kira was an ally of justice.

"You all know them as Kira." Upon hearing the name of her savior, Misa giggled madly. "Some have come to think of them as some sort of divine figure. Others believe them to be agents of justice. Most would dismiss his existence, but the fact remains that they have been killing individuals who have been hunted by the law, be it from local law enforcement or from government agencies such as the FBI or CIA.

"Kira. If you do exist, and you are listening to this, then I have a pretty good idea of why you murder these men. However, what you are trying to accomplish, what you are doing… _is pure evil_!"

Suddenly, Misa felt the warmth in her body leave her. She stared at the screen, her mind blacking out for a minute before Lind L. Tailor's words registered in her brain. "...what?!"

"No matter what the excuse is, no matter the reasons, the act of taking a life from a living, breathing creature is paramount to all the evils in the world." the man said with a fierce expression. Misa's body trembled with newfound anger, equal to the hate towards the man who murdered her parents. How dare he call Kira evil?! "Even if you are guided by some sense of justice, I will not allow this continue! If you have a shred of humanity in you whatsoever, you will turn yourself over to the police. Otherwise, I will hunt you down and drag you out of hiding, wherever you may be! I will _find you_! I am _justice_!"

"No, you aren't!" Misa cried in outrage, rising to her feet. Rem looked at her in concern. "You're the evil one! Kira is justice! People like you don't deserve his kindness! If it wasn't for him, those criminals you've been chasing after would never have been killed!" Unable to quell the storm of emotions in her heart, she walked over to her bag, tearing out the Death Note and grabbing a pen.

Rem's eyes widened in horror. **"Misa, no!"** she said, desperate as she flew over to her. **"If you use the Death Note, you'll be barred from Heaven and Hell alike! You won't see your parents again!"**

"I don't care!" the girl roared in response, opening the Death Note to a random page and writing Lind L. Tailor's name, taking up both pages from how large she had written it.

Seconds ticked by. Then Lind L. Tailor's face contorted with pain, clutching at his chest before he unceremoniously face-planted onto his desk. Seeing this, Misa grinned in wicked delight. This was what he got for slandering Kira. People like him didn't deserve to live. People who opposed Kira, people who didn't believe in Kira, they all deserved to die.

Even if she couldn't see her parents again...she would be satisfied, knowing that those who dared to oppose her savior were-

The broadcasted glitched, reduced to static before a stylized L appeared on the screen, catching her off guard. From there, a distorted voice began to speak.

" _ **I HAD TO TEST THIS, JUST TO BE SURE, BUT TO THINK IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED."**_ the voice said, clearly shocked by what had just happened. " _ **KIRA… IT SEEMS YOU TRULY CAN KILL A MAN WITHOUT HAVING TO BE THERE YOURSELF. I WOULDN'T HAVE BELIEVED IT, IF I HADN'T WITNESSED IT MYSELF."**_

"I-I don't understand." Misa stammered. "What's going on?"

" _ **LISTEN TO ME, KIRA."**_ the voice continued. ** _"THE MAN YOU MURDERED JUST NOW, LIND L. TAILOR? HE WAS A DEATH ROW INMATE, WHO'S EXECUTION WAS SCHEDULED FOR TODAY. HE WAS TO BE HANGED TWO HOURS FROM NOW. THAT WAS NOT ME."_**

Misa's heart sank. _A stand-in?_ She thought, shaking both in humiliation and anger. _I killed a mere stand-in?!_

" _ **HIS ARREST WAS KEPT SECRET, SO THE PUBLIC WOULDN'T BE AWARE OF HIS ACTIVITIES. IT APPEARS NOT EVEN YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.**_

" _ **BUT I AM L. I DO EXIST. NOW, TRY TO KILL**_ **ME** ** _!"_** Misa's face contorted, unsure whether she was angered, shocked or horrified. _**"WHAT'S THE MATTER?! COME ON, DO IT! YOU JUST KILLED THAT MAN, DIDN'T YOU?! I'M RIGHT HERE, KIRA! C'MON! KILL ME! CAN'T YOU DO IT?!"**_

"Y-you...bastard!" Misa cursed L's name with all her heart. It was impossible! She couldn't kill him, not since he was obviously using an alias! And even if "L" was his real name, she needed to know his face! She needed to know what he looked like! Without either of those, she was helpless! She couldn't kill him! Damn it!

 _ **"INTERESTING…"**_ L said after a moment, now more composed. _ **"SEEMS YOU CAN'T KILL ME, KIRA. PEOPLE EVEN YOU CAN'T KILL. YOU'VE GIVEN ME A USEFUL HINT. IN THAT CASE, I'LL LET YOU IN ON A SECRET. WHILE THE REPORT SAID THIS WAS BEING BROADCASTED ALL OVER THE WORLD, THE TRUTH IS THAT WE'RE ONLY BROADCASTING THIS IN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, HERE IN THE KANTO REGION. INITIALLY, I HAD PLANNED TO BROADCAST THIS IN OTHER REGIONS, BUT IT SEEMS THERE WAS NO REASON FOR THAT."**_

Misa blinked. This was being broadcasted here in the Kanto region? But, why? What was the purpose?

 _ **"WHY KANTO IN PARTICULAR, YOU MIGHT ASK."**_ L parroted her unsaid question. ** _"THE ANSWER LIES IN ONE OF YOUR VICTIMS. IN FACT, I SUSPECT YOUR VERY FIRST KILL. KUROU OTOHARADA. HE HAD WOUNDED SEVERAL PEOPLE WHILE TAKING REFUGE INSIDE A DAYCARE CENTER, AND REPORTEDLY COLLAPSED. HE DIED OF A HEART ATTACK. WHILE HE WAS INDEED A CRIMINAL, AND A MINOR ONE AT THAT, HIS ACTIONS WERE ONLY REPORTED WITHIN JAPAN. MORE SPECIFICALLY, IN THE KANTO REGION."_**

Kira was here in Kanto?! They were in the same area as she was?! As soon as that elated thought crossed her mind, however, a horrifying realization struck her. Misa stared at the screen in horror, realizing her blunder as she fell to the floor in a heap.

 _ **"YOU'VE ONLY RECENTLY GAINED THIS NEWFOUND SKILLSET. THIS UNCANNY ABILITY TO KILL WITHOUT BEING PRESENT AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU'VE ONLY BEEN AT THIS FOR TWO WEEKS. I USED THIS INFORMATION TO DEDUCE AT LEAST**_ **THAT** ** _MUCH. I AM CURIOUS HOW YOU'RE CAPABLE OF KILLING PEOPLE WITH SOMETHING AS MUNDANE AS A HEART ATTACK, BUT I BELIEVE I CAN HAVE MY ANSWERS WHEN I CONFRONT YOU DIRECTLY. WITH YOU BEHIND BARS, AWAITING YOUR EXECUTION._**

" _ **I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO OUR NEXT MEETING, KIRA."**_

The broadcast ended, but Misa didn't care. "...I screwed up." she whimpered, lowering her head as tears fell from her face. "I screwed up, Rem!"

She had made a mistake. That broadcast was a ruse. A means for the police to discover Kira's location. And now, she had just given it to them! More importantly, they now had confirmation that Kira honestly, and truly, existed. Kira had been acting anonymously. She didn't know if they were going to kill Lind L. Tailor like she had, but if they didn't wish it to happen, then that meant she had screwed everything up for them. Now the police knew that they were real. Not a myth or urban legend.

Kira was real. And they were a killer in the eyes of the police, and they would hunt them down until they were locked behind bars.

What had she done? _What had she done?!_

" **Misa..."** Rem wrapped her arms around her, trying to comfort her while Misa sobbed uncontrollably.

For the longest time, all that echoed in the hotel room was crying. After a few minutes, Misa quieted down. "...Rem?" she said quietly, her bangs overshadowing her eyes. "Please help me."

Rem tilted her head. **"What do you need, Misa?"**

"Please give them to me." Along with her explanation of the Death Note, Rem had told her about a deal one could make with a Shinigami. A deal that could only be made when a human was in possession of the Death Note and had a Shinigami willing to bargain. A way for one to kill with only a face in mind.

The Shinigami realized what Misa was asking her and felt her still heart beat out of fear.

"Please give me the Eyes of the Shinigami!"

She should never have told her about the Death Note's full potential…

* * *

(April 1st, 2004 / Pacific Standard Time: 10:38 PM)

* * *

Light stared at his computer screen with restrained anger. He had not been present for Lind L. Tailor's death, having left the dining room before it could occur. The only reason he became aware of it was because Sayu had told him what had happened in an excited and frightened manner, unable to believe that she had just seen a man murdered on live television.

Looking at the information that was already quickly being reported on the net, he couldn't help but curse whoever the hell had been stupid enough to do this.

" **Well, this puts a wrench in your plans."** Ryuk cackled, rife with amusement. **"You were fine letting the guy off the hook, but somebody didn't agree with you~!"**

"Ryuk? Please, _shut up_." Light calmly answered, in spite of the fact that his hand was shaking. He couldn't refute the damn Shinigami's words, however. Somebody, a loyal fanatic or someone of that nature, an extremist who believed in his ideals, had killed Lind L. Tailor and proved his existence. Even worse, L now knew that he was in Kanto.

Which meant that anyone of note would be under investigation. Light had no doubt that L's first thought would be to investigate anyone involved with the police. It was reasonable to think that there was a leak and that he would investigate them first. Including their families.

Even he would be under investigation now. Were it not for the fact that he could control the time of death and planned out his murders in advance, Light was sure he would be livid. And he still was, for a whole other reason.

" **So, what'cha going to do now, kid?"**

"Buy a punching bag." Light replied. "I need to find an outlet."

Because if he ever met the idiot who exposed him, he was going to kill them the first chance he got.

* * *

" _Patience is bitter, but it bears sweet fruit." -Turkish Proverb_


	4. NOTE 1

**NOTE 1: NEVER THAT EASY**

Oh, come on. You honestly didn't think Light was going to have it that easy, did you? He has to have some kind of challenge. And besides, the battle of unseen wits between him and L is without question the highlight of the series.

Well, that, and the potato chip scene.

At any rate, welcome to Death Note: Blank Pages, everyone. For those who had taken the time to read my newest story, I hope you've all enjoyed it.

Ironically, I got into watching Death Note thanks to the Netflix film that was released last year. Suffice to say, after I read the manga and watched the anime, I immediately understood why people hate the American adaptation so much.

Tsugumi Ohba wrote an incredible masterpiece that is hard to ignore. The characters, the world and the actions the characters take that affect the world around them have long since drawn me in, and I think I speak for everyone that the battle between Light Yagami and L is perhaps one of the best seen in anime. I've recently begun watching the Live Action TV drama, but I hope it compares to its source material.

As for Light, I've always liked his character and his descent into darkness. He was a perfectionist, and he wouldn't dare admit that there wasn't anything wrong with him. When he got the Death Note, he rationalized what he did by claiming that those people had to die, and it only got worse.

For this story, I wanted to "humanize" Light. To make him understand his flaws. And more importantly, give him a reason why he should continue on with his work as Kira. In the series, Light killed because he needed to rationalize his actions, thinking that every bad person in the world had to die. Here, Light has a more justified reason, which I will reveal as the story continues.

As for Misa, she always struck me as the least intelligent. That's to be expected, though. Light was the only person to match L, a super genius. Misa is an ordinary and troubled girl who watched her parents get murdered. While she's not as smart as Light, she made mistakes.

While some events will remain the same, such as what you saw, they only happen because I want to give them a legitimate reason for happening. Misa's devotion to Kira led to her killing Tailor and thus reveal Kira's existence, with her being in the same area as Light being the added bonus. However, because Light is more _human_ and more morally grounded, a lot of events are going to change.

What happens after that is the bigger question, and how the unseen war between Light and Kira will progress, now that Light is more smart in his use with the Death Note.

That is all from me. I'll talk to you all again when I've finished another chunk of this story.

For those who bother to read this story, I hope you all come to enjoy every second of it. Please, tell me what you all think.

And no flames, please.

Until the next page, my fellow followers of Kira!


End file.
